Dr. Stanley Plotkin is often hailed as the ‘Godfather of Vaccines.’ His pioneering work has not only led to the development of the rubella vaccine—critical in eradicating rubella across the Americas—but also propelled breakthroughs in vaccines for rabies, polio, and anthrax. We discuss breakthroughs in vaccine development, reducing public skepticism in the age of social media, and the ethical frameworks of conducting research in vaccine development.